The present invention generally relates to a system and method for managing health care information. Particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for centrally storing patient medical record data in encrypted form and for providing patient specific health care management.
In the current medical environment, access to patient medical records is cumbersome and fragmented. Typically, medical records are maintained at individual clinics. If a patient visits more than one clinic, a patient may have a plurality of medical records. For example, a patient may visit a first clinic and create a first medical record and the patient may subsequently visit a second clinic and create a second medical record. If the second clinic does not have access to the first medical record, the examination and diagnosis at the second clinic may be duplicative and inefficient.
The lack of comprehensive medical records is also duplicative and inefficient for the patient. For example, a patient typically fills out similar forms at each clinic the patient attends. The patient may fill out a form with the patient's medical history, various conditions, allergies, heredity information, or other information. The individual clinic then maintains their own record for the patient. As a patient may visit a plurality of clinics throughout their life, the patient may repeatedly fill out the same information. In some circumstances, the patient may not fill out the same information and the various medical records at different clinics may contain partial and/or out-of-date information.
In addition, the decentralized nature of patient medical record information is perpetuated by entities other than medical clinics. For example, medical record information may be maintained by insurance entities, pharmaceutical entities, and/or laboratory entities. An update of the patient medical record at any one of these entities does not ensure the other entities are updated. Accordingly, the patient medical record information differs depending on the entity. Accordingly, it is difficult to locate a medical record that is completely up-to-date and a treating physician may not be able to obtain a complete picture of a patient's health prior to treatment.
Moreover, the decentralized nature of patient medical record information typically does not allow a patient to access their medical records. A patient cannot review a comprehensive report of their medical history and various conditions. The patient generally does not have the ability to access or update their medical records. In addition, the patient does not have the ability to restrict access to their medical records.
As a consequence of patient information being decentralized and a patient not having access to their patient medical record information, the information available to a patient regarding their health status is typically of a general nature. For example, a patient has limited sources of medical information. One of the sources a patient may attempt to gather information from is the Internet. A patient may search for medical information on the Internet and find various web sites providing general information about the condition. Some of the information may be applicable to the context of the patient and some of the information may not. A patient may have difficulty in sorting through the available information and determining what information is applicable to their circumstances. A system and method is needed to centralize patient medical record information and allow a patient to view medical information in a personalized context.